It is a descriptive and exploratory field study developed in the Specialization Course on Family Health, in 2007, to know the perception of the family health team about the attention to the elderly, in a mixed health unit in Teresina, State of Piauí. It employed the qualitative approach with recorded and transcribed semi-structured interviews, and the observation in loco. The subjects were the professionals of the four teams of the unit: community health agent, nursing assistant, nurse, dentist and doctor. After readings and re-readings of the interviews, these were analyzed and organized in three thematic categories: perceptions on the National Policy of Health of the Elderly; perceptions on the conditions of health of the aged ones; perceptions on its promotional and preventive attitudes to the active and healthful aging. The actions are not yet guided b the paradigm of the functional capacity, as recommended by the health politics. Although the teams try to improve attention to the elderly and their families, the attitudes are shy, isolated and scattered in the city.
Elderly; Perceptions; Health of the Family; Public Policies